Newark gets $15K for fluoridation project

NEWARK — This Wayne County village has received a $15,000 fluoridation-planning grant from the state Department of Health.

The village applied for the grant last fall to offset the cost of an evaluation and to plan for necessary improvements in the fluoride chemical feed system at the village’s water treatment plant in Manchester. The village gets its water from Canandaigua Lake.

“The board and I are extremely pleased that our efforts to secure state funding were successful,” Mayor Jonathan Taylor said. “This grant funding brings us one step closer to the upgrades that will improve our water treatment plant and increase its efficiency.”

Newark’s water system serves close to 23,000 people in Newark and surrounding communities. Its service area is projected to grow, increasing future water demands. As a result, the village has engaged in a strategic planning process to pursue funding for water plant and delivery improvements.

MRB Group assisted with the preparation of the successful grant application. In order to qualify for the funding, Newark needed to demonstrate its continued commitment to maintaining an efficient and sustainable water system, Taylor explained.

The grant will help the village identify needed improvements, consider equipment selections and explore other potential modifications to the fluoridation system.